Vox ToneLab

It's reasonably easy to figure out how it works. And, it's reasonably easy to change settings on the fly. Those are good points.

Here are some not so good.

It was hard to turn the tuner on. You have to press two buttons at exactly the same time. If you're off by a bit, you get a different preset, not the tuner. If you do it right you get the tuner, but you don't silence the guitar. To do that, you have to hold it down. More often than not, I'd have to try several times to get the tuner.

There is a switch on the back which has PA, Fender, Marshall settings. And there are a great many options on the face of the unit. That switch essentially multiplies the number of possibilities by 3. Plug into a new PA (as I had to) and see if you can figure out what's best without a soundcheck. I can't recall if the switch setting is remembered as part of a patch.

The manual was ok.

I'm a jazz player. I wanted a very clean sound for comping and just a bit of warmth for soloing.

I was able to get an adequate solo sound. But, I could never get an adequate clean sound -- and I tried every option.

In front of a JC55, the guitar sounded much better without the Tonelab. It has bypass, but then you don't even get EQ.

Maybe this should be in the ease of use category and maybe it's not fair, but this happened. I had to plug into a PA at a jam where there the players were surrounded by PA speakers (no audience) but without monitors. I tried to stay clean on comping and reasonably clean on soloing. What happened was that when I tried to increase my volume for soloing, inevitably it got very dirty. I'd guess that I'd have figured that out with more experience, but I couldn't that night.

Seemed well built.

No experience.

45 years playing. I play mostly Brazilian jazz, but it's high energy music, including some, hopefully, scorching leads.

Too much gear to list. I played this unit with a 335 type by D'Angelico and a Godin nylon multiac.

I wouldn't buy it again or replace it if stolen.

I bought it for a situation in which I had to play directly into a PA with no guitar amp. I'd never done that before. Hard to say based on just a couple of nights, but I'd still be more comfortable with a mic'ed amp.

Looks more complicated than it is. If you can use a cell phone you should have enough brain cells. Manual could use a chart of the amp models and how the knobs map to that particular amp, since the knobs change function by emulated model. But you can find that online, use your google-fu.

This is what sold me. I live in an apartment and have been using a Behringer modeler amp (which has a tube too, but it distorts like ass) and/or a Fender Princeton Chorus (solid state and distorts ok) into a mixer then headphones, so I was in a situation of trying to get good tone from modeling stompboxes and such.

I was trying out various modelers in the store thru a keyboard amp (Pod, Zoom, etc.), and when I fired up the Tonelab it was like "Oh yeah, this is the one". Sounds much better than the rest, warmer, better distortion, and good response.

Since I didn't get the pedals for it, and I still wanted the option to use the completely clean channel on my amps, I've got the TL at the end of my effects chain switchable with an Boss line selector pedal. Kind of an "uber-pedal" if you will. So I keep the TL on, and have a MXR comp -> Jeckyll n Hyde -> Danelectro EQ/Boost feeding the TL. The amp can now be kept completely clean and the best part is that the TL responds great to overdrive coming into it. Yay! So I have the TL set to a somewhat mild Blackface 2x12, and feed it what a real amp would eat.

The is some noise in some situations, but like others said, judicious level and NR tweaking can take care of that.

Effects are good, as usual, some better than others, but I usually only run a mild reverb and chorus, if anything, anyway.

Giving it a 9 since universal law state there is always something better, and there's no 11 on the rating scale here.

Can't say yet, but seems solid. Given that it has a tube in it and all, I'd probably handle it a bit more gingerly than a stompbox you chuck in the trunk.

Not used, so no opinion. Deal with it.

I'm a wanker. I've been wanking for 7 years now. My style could be described ad self-medicated classic rock/blues wailing.

If it were stolen I'd get another, after I dispense karmic justice on the thief.

As above, compared to other products, and it stood out for it's tone and response. Now I've got a SansAmp GT2 to sell :P

Only had this a few days so I thought I would give my initial impressions as vox seem to be doing very little to publisize this unit
I went for this model as I record directly into a computer soundcard I don't play live, so the LE seemed a bit overtop for what I required. I've read the excellent reviews of the LE, and seen the Youtube demos so took a chance on this unit, the logic being that as this type of technology keeps improving then it should be at least be as good as the LE!! But smaller and cheaper.
When it arrived a couple of days ago it was even smaller that I expected, but seemed robust, and well put together(my wife thinks its cute).
The layout of the unit is logical, the controls are solid, and work well and the manual is understandble

As mentioned Im plugging straight into a soundcard and outputting to a pair of decent active speakers(using the Line level switch on the back of the unit).
There are 33 different Amps and 11 different Cabinet set ups. and I'm slowly working my way through the combinations, but I've already found a lot of great tones worth recording. I usually play clean'ish, so can't really comment on whether the high gain stuff, is authentic(although it sounds pretty good + useable to me) and thers a lot of high gain tones on this unit.
Not had a good sound from the acoustic simulator yet, but perhaps I've not done enough tweaking yet.

Looks solid to me - but whether it would stand being thrown about at the back of a Van - who knows!!

No idea - but I am quite suprised how little Vox seem to be pushing this Model.

This is only a first impression review
very happy with it so far -
small neat logical everything works well and it sounds great
how it compares to similar units I do not know.
On the minus side the USB connection is a waste of time for me and probably for a lot of other computer users. the only way I can use the USB as input to my DAW is by setting the unit up as my sound card, which may be great if you are new to DAW's and do not have a card already, but useless if you already have a decent card.
The librarian software also looks very basic.
Improvements /additions : I think a digital output(as on the LE)would have been useful, and some kind of clear/reset button would be really useful. So that you could clear all the settings belonging to the previously loaded patch, when you want to create a new patch.
But so far its lived up to my expectations

To really get your hands dirty with this thing it takes some doing. However, for basic tweaking, which is what most of us will be doing, this thing is easy to use. If you understand amps and pedals you can dial in a good sound out of this thing no problem.

OK, I'm going to cut straight to the chase. I used to own a Line 6 PODv.2. I idolized that thing and saved up $400 to get one. It had every imaginable sound but after a while I realized it sounded like harsh digital fizzle. Granted, if I ever decide to have a POD in my studio rack I'll probably go back to the original or v.2 over the newer ones, but hey, this is about the vox, right!!

Anyhow, the 12ax7 tube makes all the difference in the ToneLab. No more digital fizzle. It has less options but you get better quality out of the options it has than anything I ever got on the POD. The sound is warm instead of harsh. You don't get these things for the effects features (although there are some pretty decent ones that manipulate very naturally), you get them for the amp emulation, and that it does very well. It is Vox, after all.

I've moved it in and out of my studio rack and that's about it. I guess once to play one song at a church performance where they complained about it (they complained about just about every piece of gear I ever used so what's the common factor here :) Point is, I've never had any issues with it. Any sound issues have always been a result of other pieces in the rack (old patchbays, bad compressors, hot effect units, etc.) that I put in the chain, not the Vox.

Never had to deal with them.

There is a good possibility that the floor version is better than this simply because it's more functionl for live use (I'll probably eventually get the foot controller). Although, it's the same teachnology / features just with pedals and foot switches. For sutdio use this thing is great. Takes up a lot of space in my rack but I like having it there for when I need it. I wish they'd make a rackmount version.

Put it this way, I have three options at my disposal for studio sessions. Some great real amps, some great plug-ins, and the Vox ToneLab. On many occasions I've used the Vox ToneLab and the result has been fantastic. You can't go wrong with it.

A Little more "in depth" that a pod, of v amp, but the options are a good thing. Pretty simple to make a good tone, but you have the option to really put the time into it and make a great tone.

I have been playing for about 10 years. Have owned some middle of the ladder tube amps, no dumbles or two rocks, but some crates, and a Genz Benz or 2. For what i have been exposed to thus far, this is great. Effects are better than a Pod. Not quite as good as a couple of my stomp boxes, but not as expensive either. Great for direct plug ins, like recording. I have this running straight into a mixer, then into my computer and running Cubase, and i get very little noise, and very studio quality sounds out of it.

No problems yet, but i havn't used it live either.

Never had any issues, so i wouldn't know.

For those of you like me, not making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to spend on a " hobby " as my wife so beautifully puts it,( more like a life in itself) this is wonderful. If you are like me, and dont have the money, but you still want quality sounds for what you are paying, this is amazing. I thought about the SE or the LE, and i couldnt see spending that much on something that has as few upgrades over this. Haven't used one of the above mentioned, nor do i plan to. This will be with me until i win the lotto and can afford a hand-wired head and cabinet for each sound i want. Dont waste your money on a lifeless pod, this thing breathes like a true tube amp, and although nothing is as good as the real thing, this gets as close as any pedal of it's kind i have used, and i have used many. Spend the cash and make more use out of your time and money. Almost everything you need is right here. Dont pay attention to the people *****ing about the delay not being as good as >>>>> or the gains not stacking up to their **** Get it and you will be happy you did i swear.

It does not get any easier than this to use. Good traditional knobs control 95% of what you are going to do with this unit, and the other 5% is very easy to get a grip on.
The manual is straight foward, and there is not a whole lot to it, but it covers all the aspects of the ToneLab very well.
My unit has been upgraded only in the fact that the original processors are no longer soldered directly to the main board, but seated in sockets for easier troubleshooting/replacement. Some of the filters and caps were also replaced.

This, without a doubt is the best all-around sounding modeler preamp I have yet to play with. I used this preamp with a Danelectro Nifty 50 which let it come through in all its sonic glory. You could not tell the setup apart from a top-shelf tube amp.
The effects are limited, but very good. It has pre-preamp (pedal) effects including a couple of distortions, a compressor, treble boost, an univibe clone. The modulation effects work fine; the chorus, flange, and phaser are all very good. The controls (again) are knob based. You have very few parameters that you can change, but they are the important ones. The tremolo and rotary effects are top notch. The delays are very good and have the all-important tap tempo button. The reverbs are extremely limited, but they work great when combined with the delay.
This unit has a very good noise gate that does not kill your sustain, and "hi gain" models can be noisy without it engaged (like a typical tube amp).
I like mid-gain amp tones, and the TL delivers it in spades!
Hi Points: good amp models, good modulation & delay
Lo Points: reverb, only able to use one "pedal effect" at a time

My unit had to be defective due to damage in transit to me.
It had a loud buzz accompanying the guitar output being cut in half.
It took a couple of months and a fluke trip to a buddy who does electronics at a guitar shop fixed it. For 2 months. I believe one of the knobs was a main culprit, but never found out for certain. I had it foxed a second time and sent it on the way to a new home where it would sit in a studio and no longer travel.

Korg USA repsonded to my emails, but gave very little help outside of telling me where I could send it (yeah, I laughed when I wrote the last phrase too). I found more help at www.tonelab.com. they have all the schematics and service guides for the ToneLab and ToneLab SE at this site along with some of the most helpful forum members this side of stombox.net.forum or instituteofnoise.com.

I play on a worship team, and my style varies with each song. Jangly clean strumming, to blues, rock, jazz, a little metal here and there too. I have been playing for 20 years now. My favorite weapon of choice is my Jeff Beck Custom Surf Green Strat, Followed by a 1993 PRS CE-24.
Had the ToneLab worked 100% I would never have gotten rid of it or thought twice about buying another. The ToneLab replaced a Vetta, a PODxt and a Digitech Genesis 3. But now the hunt is on again.
My main amp is a Traynor Custom Special 50, and my practice amp is a Danelectro Nifty 50.
If you have one that works, get the best case you possibly can to protech it. This unit is gold when all works as it should.

It takes some tweaking to get a good sound, but the same is true with every setup I've used, tube, modeling or solid state. It was a lot easier to get a good sound out of this than any Line 6 gear I've used.

I couldn't get exactly the sounds I wanted for everything, but at every turn I was impressed with the quality of this unit. The effects models are good, and the amp models, with the possible exception of the Mesa and Dumble, are very good. I should mention that although I had hoped it would be a "one stop shop" I did end up feeling the need to run an EBS MultiComp before it and a HUSH pedal after it ... the onboard compressor isn't bad, but I wanted to be able to have a compressed sound in addition to their distortion pedal models. The noise reduction system is ok, but especially for the Soldano I felt more comfortable with the Hush after it, in addition to the onboard NR. I tend to prefer a more cleaned-up sound, so the Tonelab's NR might be ok for most people (although it seemed the attack and release were a little off).

The distortion sound seemed rich, full, and natural to me. Not perfect, but way better than Line 6. I am fully confident replacing my tube rig with a ToneLab, especially because it sounds good at any volume, instead of just cranked to the max. Some folks have said that this unit can't do metal -- it seemed ok to me. It took a bit of tweaking, but I got a good metal sound out of it using the Rat and Soldano, with a little hint of chorus. The Mesa model sucks, but it's kind of hard to model 5 preamp tubes and 5 power amp tubes if you're only actually using one. In general I found that it was easier to get a useful heavy sound than it had been with my old Fender tube rig.

I run this thing into a full range bass amp (Epifani PS 600 into Dr. Bass Neo 2260). This seems to be the best way to do it, since it doesn't color the sound after the cab models, and gives me a lot of clean power and stuff like pre-eq DI out.

It seems reliable. If I was rich and touring, I might buy a backup, but I don't see any real need for it. I might spring for a USB MIDI cable so I can back up my presets, though.

My needs are fairly simple, but a unit that can provide me with a good gritty sound, a good crunch sound, a good glassy delay, and a solid heavy sound, and switch them all at the touch of a button, is perfect. I don't think I'll ever be able to go back to "real" amps after this -- it's just too easy; and being able to run it through my bass amp means one expensive rig instead of two. A+.

This unit can do what ever you need it to. You need to read the manual because the controls work differently with different models and you need to understand what they(each control)do to get the best tone from each model. The manual is fine for people who are willing to take some time to read it. I suspect that people who complain about this sounds from this unit have not taken the time to read the manual or figure out how to eq the amp they are using with it. There is a certain amount of volume required to really get the best out of this unit and it varies from amp to amp.

I have used this unit with a THD Bivalve and a 2x12 cabinet, a handwired Bassman clone, a fully restored '66 Super reverb, and a Peavey Delta Blues 115. It sounds very good with all of them. It takes a little while to get all the settings just right to get the best tone. With the Bivalve it is simply breathtaking. The THD Bivalve is one of the best sounding amps made and by itself it has unbelievably nice tone from clean to hi gain distortion. But having said that,it is hard for me to go back to just the bivalve after I have used the Tonelab with it. That should tell you something. I play Les Pauls, Strats and Tele's with it and they also sound fantastic with the appropriate settings. The models are not exact replicas but they close enough to be recognizable by ear. You can set it up to serve for any musical genre.

Seems very well built. Take a back-up pre-amp tube if you are going to gig with it. It is fairly light weight and I have not quite figured out how to secure it so it won't get knocked around at at gig. The SE (floor pedal) version is probably the one to have for gigs.

No experience here.

I play rock, hard electric blues, and basically the same thing but with modern country rock. I've been playing for many years and I have first hand experience with the basis amps that are being modeled. I also have a Fender CyberDeluxe which I really love. They kind of overlap but also do some different things. The keyboard (and occasional rhythm guitar) in my band has the Digitech Modeler...it sounds like crap. Don't know about Line 6. I have also open-mic'd with a guy that uses the Boss modeler. It does not sound too good, but I am not sure if it is the unit or something else. If it was stolen I would probably get the floor pedal model. I might do that anyway. Anything that has as many features as this thing does will have things that different users will complain about, But for what it was designed for I have to give it a 10.

I bought this piece of equipment when it was quite new, and I've used it several times a week ever since. Partly since I don't have enough money to buy the amp of my dreams, but mostly since I still like it.

Easy to work with, plug in your headphones and just have a good time tweaking. Most of it is intuitive. But don't skip reading the manual because you might miss out on stuff. And some settings on some of the effects can not be done without hooking it up to a computer (not to my knowledge at least).

This depends a lot on your genre. Since I play more and more metal these days, the Tonelab makes less and less sense - it's main weakness is the high gain sounds. They're very muddy and unconvincing. If you mainly play metal, don't buy this machine.

On the other hand, for everything else, from jazz to hard rock, the Tonelab is a very pleasant experience. the different amps and cabinets gives you great versatility, and both clean and crunch sounds are great. The tube/valve actually seems to give some life to this effect box, because it responds well to your playing and has "feeling" (more so than various Pods and V-amps I've encountered). It even works quite well for heavy leads - as long as you don't try to play metal riffs on it.

The effects are generally quite good, although the dist boxes don't hold a candle to the amp distortions, and the wahwah drives me crazy (it sounds like there's an "open" a "closed" position, that you can switch between with a pedal, only they forgot the inbetweens). Reverbs are fine, Delays very nice and flanger/phaser/chorus etc all work well when not overdone.

Then, of course, there's the problem that all amp modelers deal with. It sound's great through your headphones but crappy through an amp, and boring through a PA. And it sucks in a studio environment (I've heard the Pod is a good studio tool but I haven't tried that), always making you wish you had a real amp and a real mike instead.

I actually dropped this from my bike - it was in a thin bag and I wasn't going too fast, but still, it didn't seem to notice it. It's a tank, nothing less.

Never dealt with them directly.

If you play metal, forget it altogether.

If you want something to gig with, only buy this if you can afford something like the Atomic Reactor as well - and try them together first.

If you want something to practice at home on, with earphones or through your computer/stereo, and for easy demo recording, and you play anything but metal - this is the thing for you, I'm sure you'll love it. I've loved it - and hated it, for several years now.

This desktop unit is easy to use, with separate sections for amp models, cab models, effects sections and separate EQ dials, all of which are clearly layed out. Patches are easy to store. MANUAL mode is easily attained, and is a nice feeature to use for moving around and experimenting with different config's. The two "Gain" dials make sense and are functional, once you understand what their intended purpose is.

Here's where i differ from much of what's been said about the TL. Valvetronix is good, to be sure; and definitely gives a tube flavor to your tone. However, all the models are just too closely aligned, and not distinct enough. For example, instead of having the full complement of amp models, for instance, you really end up just 3-4 REAL models, broken into groups serially across the amp model dial; this is because the models really end up sounding pretty much the same, as you rotate CW. The same holds for the cab models. (Recording is a somewhat different story; today's modelers are expert at generating good direct signals; but live play will be a bit of a disappointment.) The effects sections, overall, don't have enough variation either. For example, all the reverbs sound so much alike that the unit might as well just have one reverb dial. Now, the caveat here is that a modeler's signal is colored too much when running it through a normal guitar amp, which is designed around its own particular architecture. So, you can overcome this blending effect of individual models, to an extent, by connecting directly to a powered PA speaker or power amp. (If your primary amp has a direct port to the power section, you could try that option, thus bypassing the pre-amp. However, note that not all FX loops are constructed the same nor work the same as a Slave IN, and sometimes playing through it will not produce the intended results.) Or, you could try out an Atomic Amp (www.atomicamps.com), which sells specially-designed all-tube amps without a pre-amp section, intended to provide un-colored amp'ing of modellers. Just be aware that the TL is NOT as diverse a unit as you might expect, given all the positive feedback about it. (The feedback is deserved, as far as what it DOES give you, because the tones are rich and full-bodied.....but sound "processed".)

Several of the dials have developed static when rotated (my unit is less than one year old.) Also, the "Gain" and "CH Volume" dials have little spikes in volume transition as they're rotated, which is annoying when trying to make small adjustments. On the plus side, the 12AX7 tube is easily accessed on the top panel; i've swapped it out a couple of times and the results can be good, if you're looking for smoother performance than the stock tube provides. (I've also experimented with a 12AT7 tube, which is a lower-powered pre-amp version of a 12AX7, and this is nice for some of the models, but not so good for others.)

No opinion.

I wouldn't recommend the TL to anyone who's never tried other processors and modelling pre-amps, unless you buy from a retailer with at least a 30-day return policy. This is because you may very well end up finding another processor, for less $'s, that you like better. For example, Digitech's new RP350 goes for less than the TL, with greater diversity and options, and sounds great. That goes for the Behringer modeler as well .... less expensive, and a good variety of features. Vox has a good product here for sure, but it's NOT the only player in town, in this price range.

Simple enough.
How easy was it to get good sound? Easy enough. Much easier than with the other modelers, which produce good sound only after hours of tweaking, if at all. Doesn't mean that you can't get bad sounds, but the percentage of good sounds is astronomically higher than with the other modelers.
Didn't care much for the manual, it seems like a collection of "the worst of the POD manual" (which I hated). It's almost as bad in trying to be oh-so-humorous (while it actually isn't) and much worse in giving out even less information, for example it omits the names of the real amps and effects that are being modeled, except for the VOX/Korg models (which they own the trademarks to). To be on the safe side (and to make the matter even more laughable), they dare not even name the bands that used the amps. The reader has to deduce/guess what is being modeled! Uggh. Why couldn't they do this like Line 6 with the trademark disclaimer to protect them from lawsuits? I haven't heard Line 6 ever getting sued for naming the amps they are supposedly modeling.
Besides, they seem to get the details wrong anyway. The gentlemen "who rode the lightning" had already lost their Marshall gear by the time RTL was recorded. In fact, one of the RTL songs (Fade to Black) was inspired by the theft of the Marshall gear. They should have said gentlemen "who killed 'em all" rather than "who rode the lightning".

I've been looking for a modeler that would replicate the tone of my favourite amps at an acceptable volume (as determined by my wife). Or at least something that would produce good tone at a modest volume if one-to-one imitation is not possible. I've been through lots of gear in my search for such tone; including several units by Line 6, Boss, Korg, Johnson, and others. All of them were disappointments. You can find my reviews of the units on the HC pages. The only major manufacturers whose modeling units I have never owned are Digitech and Zoom (I heard samples on the Net and thought that they were terrible).
With the VOX Tonelab, I am happy to say that I have finally found a modeler that does not abuse and insult my ears. The sound is appreciably lusher and thicker than that of, say, PODxt. The tube breakup is almost natural. The sound is especially tasty for vintage sounds. This unit can take you easily from the early years of the electric guitar to the 1980s. Some say that you cannot get metal distortion from the Tonelab. In my experience, this is not quite true - or maybe it depends on your definition of metal. I can easily get the classic metal distortion up to and including Justice/Black album Metallica. I hate grunge, nu-metal, metalcore and other newer crap that gets sometimes classified as metal, so if the unit cannot produce those sounds, I could hardly care less. Some have also stated that unit is too bright and lacks bass. Not in my experience. The PODxt is tons worse on both accounts (plus it sounds totally digital, to boot). The POD2 and Johnson J-Station are perhaps a little bassier but sound lots worse.
But I do have some complaints. First, it is difficult to get enough edge to the attack. Even with the Treble Booster, the attack tends to sound a little mushy. Secondly, the unit does NOT sound like a real tube amp. I've owned a couple, and this does not sound anything like them. The Marshall models stretch my imagination just far too much. The Rectifier model is even worse.
Compared to any other modeler that I have tried, this is definitely a 10 - no contest, as the VOX ad stated, I can subscribe to that now. This is the only modeler that I have ever encountered that does NOT sound overly digital. Especially the crunch/semi-clean tones; those tend to be terrible on digital modelers (Line 6, ugggh! think metal skeletons making love on a tin roof) - here the Tonelab really shines! In an A/B test with my PODxt, the Tonelab totally devastated the POD.
However, compared to a real tube amp, the Tonelab only gets 7. Its tone lacks body and punch of a quality tube amp.
This averages out to 8.5 which I rounded up to 9. Heck, I fear I even gave one of the PODs a 9 (what was I thinking!?!?!?), and this deserves at least as much.
Once someone produces a modeler whose sound and feel I cannot distinguish from a tube amp, that will be a 10.

No issues so far. However, I have observed a peculiarity that probably derives from the fact that the unit actually uses a tube. I had just booted up the Tonelab and started playing in a very warm room. The Tonelab sounded unusually mellow and mushy. I was sweating a lot, so I knocked down the heating a bit. Soon after that I noticed that the Tonelab was sounding much tighter and better focused. Could it have been the tube warming up? Or maybe it was just my ears (psychoacoustics).

I've never had a Korg/VOX product crap out on me.

I've been playing for a little over 20 years. My favorite bands hail from the 1970s and 1980s. This unit is an excellent match for their music plus my own music. Your mileage may vary. Especially if you are into "modern metal" and play NOTHING except metal (not even an acoustic part here or there), you *might* be happier with a POD. Do give both units a thorough test, though, and let your ears decide.
The effects section could use some improvement. The effects sound pretty much like the Tonelab effects in the Korg units, I suspect that they use the same algorithms. They are not terribly good but ok anyway. There could be an EQ, but it is not vital since the unit sounds pretty good without one. The compressor could be improved and should be in a separate block of its own. Then again, I don't normally use much effects anyway. Give me a wah pedal, an occasional chorus and some delay/reverb, and I'll be happy. The Tonelab does all of them except the wah (since there's no pedal included, duhh!), so I'm using an external wah/volume pedal with the Tonelab and am happy. The more spaced-out weird sounds that Korg or Boss units can produce can be fun, but not something I want to regularly do.
At the current street price, this is really a no-brainer. You would have to whip out at least as much cash for a single boutique OD/distortion pedal that incorporated tubes, and here you get as good a tone plus lots more versatility.
The Tonelab has really the fully-digital units for me. They sound like digital crap to me now.

See my original review .... nothing's changed here.

Just one additional note to my original review: I swapped out the stock tube with a JJ Electronics-recommended 12AX7, and the results are absolutely splendid. The entire sonic character of the TL is now much more clearly defined, with lows, mids and highs coming through beautifully, without any unwanted distortion or graininess. The gain and EQ adjustments are now very clearly discernable, and produce a dramatically improved sound across all frequencies. THIS IS A HIGHLY-RECOMMENDED ADJUSTMENT!

No change from 1st review.

No opinion.

See my comment under "Sound Quality". Other than that, there's no changes from my 1st review. This is a HIGHLY recommended product for all "tube purists." Valvetronix truly DOES work, and beautufully so. For any experienced TL user, the 12AX7 swap mentioned above is the crowning touch, which will have you totally thrilled. ALSO .... try this baby in stereo .... and get ready to SLAY with glee!

Everyone has a take on this unit - here's mine.... I find the easiest way to use the Tonelab is as a preamp with the outs going to two Fender Stage 112SE amps for stereo. I control the Tonelab with the VC12 footswitch so I can turn on/off the effects like an old stomp box rig. I use the unit in manual mode and don't use the presets. I select the amp model I want to use as a baseline pre-amp sound, and the footpedal controls the various options for effects. Makes it easy and simple and perfect for recording and live stage work. I've been playing for over 25 years and hands-down this is the best rig I've used with the most versatility. There isn't a sound that I can't achieve, period.

I dumped all of my other effects and stomp boxes with the exception of a custom Fender Tube Reverb, since I'm a fan of the old surf sound, among many others. I use a 73 Strat (stock) and a Ric 12 and 6 string for the 60s tones. I also replaced the stock tube in the Tonelab with one of the new Ei 12AX7 tubes which smoothed out the tone range and gain, and took out some of the brittleness caused by the stock tube. I can use the Tonelab direct into the amp guitar inputs or run it through the power amp section, both work real well, although I think I prefer the standard guitar inputs. I turn off the cabinet simulation, and match the Tonelab's gain output so I don't overdrive the imputs of the amps. The two Fender 112SE amps I use are monsters - loud and strong, and only weigh around 25 lbs. No tubes, absolutely excellent built-in tone circuit - you'd swear you were playing on a tube amp. One of the best amps Fender ever made, and you can pick them up for under $200 on Ebay. I got rid of all my Vox amps and everything else and only use the 112SE models now. Well, to be truthful I did keep a Vox Pathfinder 15R for the garage.....
The effects are usable and ok, nothing to get swell in the head about, but they work, same goes for the wah effect. The Vox footswitch has a level pedal and a wah pedal so I can control the wah without any problem. I didn't want the TonelabSE model because I don't like changing controls on the floor, so the Tonelab tabletop model works just fine with the added VC12 footswitch - best of both worlds.

Haven't had any problems in 4 years.

??? never dealt with Korg.

I play old style Surf, to Hendrix, to funk, just about everything except heavy metal. Being an old guy, my tastes in music were grounded in the 60s and 70s. I've had just about every amp and guitar I ever wanted, my current rig is staying just like it is, the Tonelab, the VC12 footpedal and a couple of cheap and reliable Fender 112SE amps. Everyone that hears my rig is absolutely blown away and it works for me.

The Vox Tonelab is extremely easy to dial in the precise sound one is looking for in many styles. The downlodable sound editor looks very nifty, but have had little opportunity to explore in great detail.

IMHO, this unit preovides most everything one could want in a modeling preamp. The controls are well thought out, changes to the sound can be tweaked on the fly and the effects are dead on to having a string of stomp boxes sitting at your feet.

Built like a tank. Metal enclosure and solid construction.

Never had to utilize their customer support - all the questions I had were answered by the manuel and their website.

I play guitar for our church???s Contemporary Worship and with all of the various styles that are being incorporated into modern worship, I can get them all with this unit. I would by another one if lost or stolen (have been checking out the auctions to see if I can get a back-up unit) but am using a full blown amp in worship (the modeler is for home use - the presets are tweaked on the Tonelab at home and transferred via a VOX pedal board to a 60 watt VOX Valvetronix at our sanctuary) and have no doubt that this type of setup is the most practical for my situation.
In many ways, this unit allows me to get sounds that were in my head out into the air and has boosted my playing by allowing me to create sounds that would cost many dollars to emulate. I???ve played through everything from 10 watt all tube screamers (think Champ and Wabash) to Music Man and Mesa B's and everything in between over the last 38 years. Sold afew of those that I wanted to get back until I stumbled on the VOX modeling series.
Can you imagine what a Marshall 50 watt head - full out - would sound like through a little 10 inch open back cabinet?
I can tell you...
How about a Princeton through a full 4-12 closed back cab?
I too, know how that sounds...
The ability to create sound combinations that cannot be reproduced due to manufacturer's necessary competition are now open to sonic experimentation (without spending an arm and a leg).
I must add this one comment - if you do not know (nor understand) the difference between class A and B power stages or how a gain stage's output can change the resultant input attenuation of said power amp configuration, just get a Twin or Mesa or Dumble and be happy in life. For those who are willing to spend a little time in finding those sounds that you've only heard in your inner ear, check the Valvetronix out. Think of all the music you might be missing...

Fairly easy to use, but you have to get used to working with the various controls over the presets when you want to tweak your own sounds which you will want to do. Instead of tweaking one knob at a time to create your sound, I suggest hitting all the effects that are engaged on a particular patch and turn everything to 7:00 o'clock and start over. Even turn all the amp, cab and effects knobs all the way to the left. When done write this patch and start from the beginning. This way you can become acustomed to the full array of sounds you have at your disposal and go from there. Don't forget to save your Noise reduction setting for each patch separately as different patches require different levels. If you use more than necessary, it appears to suck some tone out of the sound.
As most all the other folks have commented, the presets suck and quite frankly I think sales would be better for this unit if they were better. Luckily the salesman showed me how to tweak some basic sounds in the store (guess he was aware of the bad presets as well0. Anyway, the manual gave a a good overview. Im giving this an eight because the presets sucked so bad, that it required a from me a complete retweak of the unit.

Here's where it gets subjective. It amazes me how many folks have different opinions of the various things this device offers. Some say the delay is excellent, others hate it but love other things that other folks hate. Almost seems like a wast of time for me to throw in just another opinion, although I can say that I have recorded with this thing for two years on and find I can tweak just about any sound I want. I am mainly a hard blues player who uses a Strat and Les Paul. The Marshall sounds are my favorite.
Guess I have to say the biggest disappointment for me is the compressor effect. I just can't get a descent sound with it and it buzzes excessively. The "recto" amp model is also a dissapointment for me. And I wish instead of a very weak acousitc guitar simulator they could have squeezed in something more useful for the type of player that would by this unit. Maybe another compressor model that actually works perhaps.
It sounds great through headphones as well.
I ALWAYS leave this on the amp setting in back. The line adds too much brightness and unless you want to recreate each of your live tweaks for lineout, leave this switch alone. It makes a nice sounding unit sound like crap real fast if your not careful.
Also no one so far has raved enough about the Fender bassman sound this thing gets. I owned a Deluxe reverb and a Bassman. The deluxe recreation is about a 7 on a scale of one to 10, the Bassman is a 9.5. And yes, try it for your bass in a studio setting. It resonds magnificently.
Overall I give this unit a 7 soundwise because although it is one of the best things on the market for the price, there is still room for improvement. It needs a USB out as well as a universal Noise reduction, and a better compressor and it would get an 8 from me.
If they added a second output tube to "seal the deal" on the tube response it would get a 9. 10, of couse is the REAL tube sound is just plain impossible since this can only simulate the sounds at best.

I am sole a studio musician right now, but I would not hesitate to gig with this unit. It is built like a tank and I appreciate that Vox took the pride in their design to go the extra mile and put this in an all metal enclosure. But since I haven't road tested this unit, I have to refrain from leaving a score.

Haven't had a need to service this unit yet. There is at least one online community dedicated to Vox Tonelab where you are probably best off getting questions answered. At least this has been my experience with most products that have dedicated online communities. Again, since I haven't dealt with the company, I can't honsestly leave an opinion.

For the money, this is a damn nice unit. I write and record blues rock songs and have released one CD so far.
This baby did me proud so in the end, For the type of music I play which has it's roots in classic rock it is great. If you are a death metal head try POD XT for it has much more intense distortion tones with a midrange that will cut through haed death metal drums.
It really was a bargain for me considering how much you get for the money despite the fact that that I find 20% of the resources available unusable, I give it an 8. I give it an extra point in the end for value.

This desktop unit is quite easy to use, emphasizing dials over switches, which "Feels" better to me. Very easy right out of the box ... just switch to "manual" mode, select your models, any effect(s), EQ, volumes, and you're off. A few tips: watch the rear-panel "Level" dial - i set it to about 60-70% open, because any more for me and it begins to "fizz" on the high-end. Also, for live play i've tried both "Amp" and "Line" mode, and "Amp" definitely sounds better. You can experiment with running through the frontend or your FX loop ... it works better for me through the frontend like a stomp. Also, here's a kicker ... you can feed TWO amp's for a stereo setup ... this is killer (see the manual.) ALSO ... VERY important ... play through a good-quality amp CLEAN channel, to minimize preamp boost and external distortion. The TL is more or less a "preamp" amyway, so you don't want to destroy it's own signal. Now, for some DOWNSIDES ..... the TL Desktop unit requires an external footswitch unit for remote pedaling & control, so this version of the TL isn't the best for live play (the SE overcomes this). Also, you can't turn off the Amp modelling, which may NOT sound too bad at first (and usually isn't), until you want to set up a TL effects chain while using your own amp's sound. With my rig, i can generate beautiful clean sounds, and i'd love to dis-engage amp / cab modeling while being able to use TL effects, but can't. (The SE version DOES allow this.) Again, not a show-stopper per se, since i bought this unit for modelling in the first place (as well as the price.) My suggestion for ease-of-use -- buy the SE (at higher cost) for more functionality and a few extra effects too, basically for LIVE play ... then .... hook up a laptop on-stage via the MIDI ports using Vox's interface software to the TL SE and use the laptop on a stand for your control, thus avoiding having to constantly bend down to read & adjust. The computer interface is EXCELLENT. Vox apparently made a good engineering decision by designing the physical device for cost-effectiveness, then providing free software to implement the best user interface. Oh yeah ... one MORE comment, sorry .... you've heard this before ... you can't chain more than one "Pedal" effect in your chain per patch. This is a bigger deal for some players than others. Overall the effects sections are designed well and are easy to use, and sound pretty good too. (The "Compressor" pedal isn't very nice, but i use external compression anyway so that's not an issue.) The thing that gets most players is not being able to chain the Wah pedal with either the Univibe or a distortion/OD pedal effect.

I play a Strat (my favorite) and a LP Custom vintage 1970's. Both guitars tend to lose varying amounts of their natural "character", depending on the model selections .... but that should be expected with a processor of any kind. The ToneLab (TL) is capable of a WIDE variety of sounds. Overdrive / Distortion is EASY to achieve in the models, esp. the higher-gain ones (naturally). My favorite amp models are the Vox ones, esp. the AC30TB ... BEAUTIFUL ! The various Marshall models are good too. Each model has a definite "character" that can be fiddled with via EQ'ing and effects. (Tip: some users seem to get confused with the different "Volume" / "Gain" options. Read the manual is all i'll say here. They all work well, and make sense once you realize what they're intended for.) Also, contrary to a few comments i've read, it IS possible to obtain good Clean tones .... you just have to fiddle. (AND, i mean fiddle with everything, including the rear Level dial, CH volume, Gain(s), on-board EQ dials...everything; TL offers alot of signal-tweaking options, so sometimes you just have to "get down and dirty".) Actually i like the "Boutique CL(ean)" model, because it starts off as a "weak"-sounding model, which you can build on with boost/gain, EQ'ing, effects, etc. I've gotten some of my best sounds using this one. ALSO ... the Cab models are GOOD for setting an overall sound/tone environment....USE them. (You CAN dial-off the Cab model with this TL, but i suggest using them.) I have found the effects sections to be good overall, and you can create some really nice patches by applying one or more effects sections thoughtfully.

So far, so good. One comment here ... when the 12AX7 goes bad, as tubes tend to do, the TL will of course sound bad, since valvetronix uses the tube to good effect. It's easy to access the tube via the front panel, so that's not an issue. Some players have played "swap the tube" with the TL, to achieve different sound quality. I haven't, but i don't doubt that it would have an influence. Also, some players (apparently) have received their TL with a bad tube, which resulted in a bad review. I have found the TL to be an excellent product, so if it sounds "bad" to you, you probably have a defect of some kind, or have set it up in a less than optimal fashion in your rig. I mentioned some of these things above ... i.e., the rear "Level" dial, the "Amp/Line" switch, Gain / CH Volume dials, etc. ALSO .... i'm sorry to say that my Les Paul with humbuckers can produce un-controllable feedback between notes/chords, on the higher-gain models, and has to be severely cut back on gain. That's an issue that i haven't resolved ..... but i play mostly my Strat, while running my LP through an un-processed (non-TL) chain, so it hasn't stopped me. But, you should check this out for yourself, if you play guitars with high-output Pups, as it might present a problem for you.

No opinion. (Overseas support ... ? well hopefully i can avoid this one.)

I said it all above (perhaps too much .... sorry!) Thanks for "listening".

Takes some tweaking but I am satisfied with tones I am now getting.
Pretty user friendy, easy to edit.
Take the time to read the manual.

I bought this unit for direct recording and headphone jamming, I also own a PODXT and a Behringer V-Amp Pro. I wanted to see if the tube did make a difference I was looking for that warm tube break up, and mikeing my tube amp is not an option in my home as I do most my recording and playing after the kids are in bed. I've had some tube pedals (Tonebone)and amps that delivered, and I read some nice reviews in the mags.
It is quiet and the noise gate can be used to quiet higher gain settings.
Out of the box my first impression was "what a disappointment" I found the majority of presets to be very pedestrian, but I expected them to be generic. I went away from it for a few days then really sat down and started tweaking, there are a lot of options what with the different Amp models and Cab options. I shut down everything but a touch of reverb and went to work. Thus far I have been able to get some nice Fenderish clean Robert Cray like sounds, a nice Joe Walsh Rocky Mt. Way type of rhythm OD, and a Hiwatt (though that is not one of the amps modeled) like sound ala Wont' Get Fooled Again, and a nice AC\DC rhythm tone. With the AC15 model I can get a nice warm break up for blues. The effects are OK not great, I particularly like the Univibe (the POD XT is the only one that has a really good rotary, Leslie like sound) but I am not big on effects anyway except compression on high gain stuff.
I have some other 12ax7 tubes lying around , JJs, GT, and one from a Marshall preamp probably Sovtek, so I wil see if swapping the tube makes any difference.
Bottom Line: do not be put off by the presets. With some tweaking there are a lot of nice sounds you can get. You do get some nice roll off with you guitar volume control, so it would appear the tube does influence the sound some what.

Seems like it is built to last.

N\A

I play mostly blues and classic rock and some harder 80s stuff
Been playing for 35 years or so.
I am currently using a Schecter Black Jack C-1 that has Duncan 59\JB pickups and a 5 way switch for coil splitting, (a damn nice guitar for the price. I've owned more amps and guitars than I can remember.
Between the PODXT, V-amp Pro, and Tonelab (IMO)out of the box the PODXT beats the ToneLab but after some serious tweaking The Tonelab has become my favorite, though the PODXT and V-Amp does the higher gain stuff better. I will give the folks at Behringer props for putting out a quality product at such a great price too.

The more I tweak the more I like it, as Bogey said "I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship"

it is actually the most easy unit on the market. i have tried many multieffect units and i have to admit that this is the best. Editing patches is so fast. The manual is just ok, nothing special.

i can get the sound i have in mind so easily...it is amazing. The amps are the best around for modeling. i have tried Pod xt live and boss gt8, and well....in this category nothing can beat the tonelab at the moment. It-s not noisy at all. i use it with different amps: a real vox ac15, a fender deville and with other tube preamp and pa. i found them great with the tonelab. i can get a very good tbe sound from them together.

no problem for now.

vox it-s not so bad as many people think.

for blues, rock. pop and simiar style i think it is the best around in these times. i am very happy to bought it.

It's the best in ease of use. Editing patches it's so fast. Very intuitive. the knobs are self-explanatory.

Don't listen to the guys (as the one who reviewed the tonelab just below mine review) that have just tried the tonelab for 2 days. They don't know how good this uint is. You can't judge a thing if you don't use it for a while. I agree with most of the people here that have a very good opinion of this unit. The tone is absolutely the best, talkin' about modeling. The high gain stuffs aren't the top, but they are good anyway. So i have to give this unit a 10.

Never had a problem with it.

Not the top, but sufficient.

As a modeler unit, can't be beaten at all. that's all.

The unit is fairly easy to use. Most of the buttons are self-explaing. The display could be a bit bigger, though...

Before I got the tonelab, I was using a POD XT Live. I got rid of that, because I didn't like the high-gain tone that much. My hope was, when buying the Tonelab, that their "Valvereactor" stuff would make the difference. Well, I'm sending the Tonelab back today. Don't get me wrong, the clean sounds are alright and so are the effects. But the distorted sound sounded all really bad to my ears. They all sounded like they came from a cheap solid-state amp. Lifeless, harsh and pretty much all the same. Exept the "recto-model" that one was particularly bad. It sounded nothing like the original. So, after five hours of tweaking I wasn't able to get a distorted sound out of this thing that I liked.
I might even get another POD. I really liked, that you could connect it to your PC via USB and where you could place the effects in the signal chain...

I only had the device for three days so no comment here.
Looks well made, though.

See "Reliability"

Well, to me the unit was a big disapointment. I was planning on using it for direct-recording, but I didn't like the tone I was getting at all.
So, the search for that perfect equipment you can use at home without getting your neighbours to call the cops on you continues...

Piece of cake to use. Works exactly like an amp.

Had the pod xt and all i was able to get out of it was death metal and pristine cleans. This thing does about every guitar tone under the sun. The warmth and tone is better than some of the actual amps. It is that good. I mainly use this for lined guitar recording but when i plugged it in to my Marshall JCM-2000 WOAH! The pod sounded like crap in my marshall but this thing is WARM!

Seems sturdy enough.

Don't know about this yet.

This is a dream come true! Now i can record and play guitar at any hour i want to. Thank you VOX!

Very easy to use. I read the manual only after 3 months.

If you understand your amp, you'll dig this box.

Editing is also very easy and I do NOT have any extra pedals or midi.

That's where it shines. I do not play metal so I replaced all those metal presets with nice sweet Fenderish Twin or Dumble sweet sounds.

I play this baby often through my Fender Deluxe Reverb class A 112 tube combo and the marriage works well. I still use the Morley volume, wah, disto up front and also the baby Blue OD or Zen Drive but I can use ToneLab to vary my basic sounds a lot and I can keep the FEEL of the tube dynamics and get a great classic sounds.

The effects are not the best in the world (Lexicon is better) but you need as little as possible on stage and in the studio I use other boxes too.

In short, this is clearly the best modeller, so I sold my POD, VG-88v2 or my Yamaha DG-stomp, J-station, Behringer, Digitech, Boss .... as I said this is the only one that doesn't sound digitalish ...

It deserves 9 but I give it 10 to compensate for some idiotic reviews.

Bought it used from the USAS and it works :-)

No idea. Who needs Korg anyway ?

Even if you a tube freak, and I am and I own only the very best tube gear including THD Univalve class A, or Gibson GA15RV class A ... this thing gives very useful sounds and you can use it WITH your tube amp !

I bought it for $175 and it's an unbelievable value !

I play since 1960 and I wish we had anything like that in those days.

Journalists lie - as Vox, marshal and even Fender in those days did suck and rarely did we have any decent guitars while these days you can get all these fabulous toys and even Asian guitars are better than some of the Gibsons of the '60s ... have fun guys !

Yes, I like this toy and would buy another one.

Strongly recommended to all baby boom guitarists.

metal kidz and esoteric people stay away.

Dials are intuitive, like using an amp. Just a few buttons. Easy to get into "Manual" mode and start wailing.

Of all the things i COULD say about the ToneLab, i will emphasize this ONE specific point here: Valvetronix really DOES work. I am most interested in Live play, and i presently play through a Marshall Valvestate amp. Let's face it - with a Solid State power section, you're not going to rival an all-tube design for those vintage tones. BUT .... here's the kicker ... the ToneLab can get you SO CLOSE to a true tube experience, that you'll end up not worrying about it. My Valvestate is a good amp, and has a good Clean channel. But the Overdrive channels, though powerful, sound solid-state all the way. The ToneLab has opened up my live play experience to levels that i could only have dreamed of before. The many amp and cabinet model combinations are truly AWESOME. I get tones that are absolutely authentic in every respect .... the real "crunch" sounds; the special pick and string attack sounds reminiscent of tube amps; the REAL DEAL with power section overdrive/distortion, not just pre-amp OD. Both the Amp AND Cab models work extermely well; DON'T turn off the Cab option, use them .... they open up vistas that are not available with only the amp models. The ToneLab with a Stratocaster is, well, ...... Heaven On Earth sounds a bit pretentious, but you catch my drift. My primary chain is : guitar --> Carl Martin Compressor --> ToneLab --> Wah (optional) --> Amp (Clean Channel), with an MXR Graphic Equalizer in the FX Loop to sculpt the signal going into the power section. That's basically it. The sounds are endless. With my setup i can find basically any tone i'm after, from any period. END OF STORY. The ToneLab is IT. (I didn't bother to review any of the many other features, setup, etc., here, as i only wanted to emphasize the TONAL aspect. The Pedal effects are good too, as are the other effects categories, to one degree or another. But for me, the TONE was the main thing. I was looking for amp/cab emulation; the ToneLabe is a 10+)

So far, so good. Live and recording have been awesome thus far.

NO (personal) opinion. I've read several good remarks about Vox over the phone. (Of course, you'll have to bite the overseas bullet with that one if you need to talk to them....but it might be worth it.)

I said it all above. For amp/cab emulation tonality, the ToneLab rules. The closest you'll ever get to all-tube amp'ing without the thousands of dollars you'd have to spend for only 1 or 2 physical amp's. There's absolutely NO comparision for value here .... the MANY quality tones that you can attain with this product are un-rivaled. Just play through a good clean channel of a basic quality amp, either tube or valvestate (don't know about all solid-state), and you'll be smiling from ear-to-ear 'til the cows come home. AND .... all of this functionality is yours for only $300 (desktop model) ..... not much more than the price for a SINGLE good stomp.

Pretty easy to use. Just a few banks and a lot of turning knobs. Also is editing no t very hard. It is definatly missing and input for a CD player to jam along.
The computer aid is useless.

I play classic rock for 25 years. Jimi is definatly my man. Play in a band wth pro's and in all the years I have been able to collect the stuff I like: mainly old and new handwired Marshall's (tuned by Dutch Ampmeister Peter van Weelden, the best in Holland. Guitars are Gibsons of diferent kind and effects mainly Keeley, Analog Man and Teese. Now I am very happy about the sounds I can get.
The Vox I wanted to use to play at home without noise together with my favorite CD's.
Now the sounds are, despite the bragging about the tube inside, mediocre. The cleanish breakup sound a la Fender are ok but the other sounds are no more than mediocre.
So if you are used to the real stuff: don't buy. I sold mine.

Had it too short to judge.

Don't know.

Not a keeper. It is a little better than a POD (AAAH!).

The ToneLab is very easy to operate. I started in "Manual" mode and just began working with the Amp & Cab models .... no problems. The control layout is excellent ... rotaries like an Amp ... very "touchie-feelie" and intuitive. The hookup is easy ... you can go in through the front like a stomp, or use your amp's FX loop. (I go in the front as i like this mode better, but it's up to you.) The user manual is excellent and fun to read. Editing patches is easy ... just press a couple of buttons and that's it. Compared to other modellers, the ToneLab is a breeze. I own the desktop unit; for live performance, the separate foot switch (or the SE model with integrated FTSW) would be mandatory for quick switches. However, bending over alot to adjust things, and having to read dials in the dark, would NOT be "easy". I would suggest the FTSW. But for working at home or in a studio, the desktop unit, set up on a table, is best.

The ToneLab can produce some excellent tones & sounds. The Amp models really DO work, and combined with the Cab models, you've got wide flexibility for finding great tones. (Hint: USE the Cab models, even if playing through an Amp. It makes a BIG difference. Plus, you can combine them in any way with any Amp model, for some fabulous results.) The Amp models are all capable of being over-driven, and you can really come up with some great and powerfull pre-amp and power amp OD. (Read the manual to understand how the ToneLab acts regarding its "Gain", "VR Gain" & "CH Volume" - it's very easy, but some reviewers seem to be confused about this.) I play mostly a Strat, and i'll tell you, the multitude of tones i can produce with my guitar's 5-position PUP switch, coupled with the ToneLab, is FANtastic. (In general, a player's set up is important, naturally ... i.e., what guitar you're using, the PUPs, whether you're going through an Amp or PA, or recording direct; etc. etc.) I use external graphic EQ'ing on both ends of my signal chain, so i can add some additional boost and/or frequency tweaks to suit, but basically, the ToneLab is excellent right out of the box. DON'T believe it if anyone says the ToneLab is weak or thin. These players just have to set things up properly with their equipment, and adjust the ToneLab correctly - i.e., the rear "Level" dial, setting the "Amp" switch, whether they're going through the frontend or the FX loop, what Amp they're playing through, etc. The ToneLab is truly powerful and full-bodied, and can produce the most excellent tones in a huge variety of ways. The effects sections are excellent as well. Certainly, a particular player is going to have his "perfect rig", including the requisite stomp's, and can come up with some "signature" tone that he loves. The ToneLab is amenable to existing stomp's/effects chains, and can be treated like a real Amp in this regard. It's also excellent as-is. The choice is YOURS! (There's ONE limitation about the "Pedals" section - only one pedal effect is available per program. This IS an issue, though for me, it wasn't too big of one....certainly not big enough for me to resist owning this baby.)

Has been great so far. I haven't dropped it yet :-) Heavy & solid.

No opinion.

I play "classic" rock, light jazz, BLUES !! (The ToneLab can SCREAM too, ala "metal" ... don't believe otherwise.) AND ... someone said that the OD/distortion pedal emuations were weak ... NOT SO. The "FAT OD" in particular is OUT OF SIGHT. The player that knocked it must be going deaf, or have a dead amp. (Check your power tubes, bro.) AND, learn how best to hook up the ToneLab for YOUR best results, and how to adjust it (Leveling, CH Volume, "Amp" switch, etc.) Believe me, there's NO limitations regarding output with this baby. You can generate any degree of preamp and power amp overdrive/distortion in virtually any of the models. There's SO many combinations available ... amp model + any Cab model; OD pedal effect; plus modulation/delay (wicked when coupled with an overdriven Amp model and the Compressor pedal ... how do you spell "Robin Trower"... ) Don't bother swapping out the 12AX7 with other versions (like a 12AT7 or whatever) ... just use it for awhile, and eventually you'll have a good handle on the ToneLab's capabilities and range. (12AT7's are weaker output-wise; one player said that he had better results with it. I guess he was looking for a "Brown Sound" or something to that effect....?) Anyway, you'll LUV the ToneLab ... ESP. at $300!! What can compete?